Meet Dr. Jackie Horrall: New Vice President of Academic Affairs

On Dr. Jackie Horrall’s office desk sits a Pittsburgh Penguins mug next to Florida Gators mug, a perfect representation of where she’s been and where she is now. She began her education at the University of the West Indies at Mona, Jamacia, and then went to the University of Florida. Now she is to be the new Vice President of Academic Affairs at Pitt-Greensburg.

“It felt wonderful,” Dr. Horrall said about the moment she found out she had gotten the position. “The enormity of it descended on me though. I realized it would be a lot of work and I would face a lot of challenges, but it was a moment to be happy that I succeeded.”

Dr. Jackie Horrall grew up on the north coast of Jamaica, a place that often had lots of tourists. “I loved the freedom of it. People were simpler there.”

When asked if she ever feels landlocked in Greensburg, she replied, “All the time. I don’t think it ever leaves you.” When she was in college, Dr. Horrall says that she was a good student who was involved on campus. “I definitely wasted time hanging out,” she admitted. “We call it liming in Jamaica.”

She would spend time being social and attending campus functions and wouldn’t start her homework until midnight. “I think that college students should be able to relax. They just have to find that balance.”

When asked what she was involved in while in college, Dr. Horrall smiled. “People might not expect this because I’m completely tone deaf, but I played in the steel band. I picked the easiest instrument: the bass drum.”

When Dr. Horrall gets home from work, the first thing that she does is drop her bag on the couch. “Then I think ‘what will I have to cook for these kids now?’” she said laughing.

She hates cooking, but if she had to pick a favorite dish to cook, she would pick curry chicken. “It’s the only thing I cook really well.”

One thing you might not know about Jackie Horrall is that she’s not the serious and formal person she appears to be. “I’m crazy,” she joked. “I’m very laid back and students never see that.”

It’s easy to see that Dr. Horrall is excited about her new position on campus. “It’s a big responsibility. You’re in charge of all things academic and the forefront for any kind of change on campus.”

One thing that she hopes to do while she’s the Vice President of Academic Affairs is to restore communication issues between administration, faculty, and staff.

“It’s more challenging than you think,” she said. “But I want to learn how to do that better. I’m looking forward to doing this job well.”